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The Sustainable Hour no. 527 | Transcript | Podcast notes
Responsibilities of a have in a world of have-nots
Our guest in The Sustainable Hour no. 527 is Philippa Rowland, founder of Clean Energy For Eternity, chair of Religions for Peace Australia since 2022, and president of the Multifaith Association of South Australia since 2017.
Today’s episode focuses on our guest’s transition from planting trees to agricultural science looking at the impacts of chemicals used on farms, to founder of a community based solar energy project, to leader of climate concerned faith groups.
Time is also given to analysing the reasons why we don’t have real action on climate in so many countries.
Philippa guides us along her step by step journey into climate awareness and activism as her life experiences made her more and more aware of how dire the situation we face is. Along with this awareness came an increasing determination to play an active role in solutions to this crisis.
We listen to a personal phone message Philippa received from a friend in Spain who comments on last week’s deluge which poured down one year’s rain in eight hours in the area around Valencia.
Yesterday, on 5 November, Philippa gave a brief intro to a 30 minute silent meditation in the lead-up to CoP29 – it will continue each day throughout the CoP29 meeting in Azerbaijan.
“I’ve tried to come up with a very simple three-point plan, and it’s briefly: 1) Transition – getting off fossil fuels, helping other countries and ourselves to move to renewable, but also informing people about the Non-Proliferation Treaty on Fossil Fuels and the sign-up page for faith groups. 2) The second is Resilience, working with our living Earth, looking at food and water security, mangroves, tree planting, trying to help resilience for ourselves and for biodiversity. 3) And the third one is Recovery, the role of faith groups after climate disasters.”
~ Philippa Rowland, guest in The Sustainable Hour no. 527
. . .
Why are we experiencing the climate emergency? We listen to Mik Aidt‘s insightful analysis of the many factors that have conspired together to create the climate crisis that is unfolding via the more often and more intensive extreme weather events all over the world. Mik’s analysis of the reasons that have contributed to us being in this climate emergency fits in smoothly with Philippa’s increasing awareness. We end up with a clear understanding of why we are where we are, as well as why someone would become a ‘climate solutions seeker’.
. . .
Right after Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook, we hear Australia Institute’s Polly Hemming talking about the Australian government’s approach to solving the climate crisis: “When it comes to climate, the government seems to want praise for doing some right things while doing more wrong things.”
. . .
We round off the Hour with a short video by Investor Group on Climate Change: ‘Powering South Australia with renewables: Michelle’s climate action story’, and Michael Franti‘s song: ‘Brighter Day’.
. . .
“We have not seen any help. People are living with corpses in their homes. The heavy rains caused flooding and serious damage to infrastructure. This is why aid cannot reach some of the affected localities by conventional means. The amount of water that fell from the skies was absolutely exceptional. Experts link it to the warming of the sea due to climate change.
The images of people in an economically developed country having to search for food and water are reminiscent of the dystopian series or films that have been so popular in recent years. There are even people who are leaving their towns on foot, trying to reach safer places with food and water.”
~ Mayor of Alfafar in Spain in a report by The Daily Digest
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We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we
are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future.
The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millennia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices.
Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that,
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.”
The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore the climate emergency are being made by those
who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How disrespectful and unfair is that?
The climate crisis is an integrity crisis
"When it comes to climate, the government seems to want praise for doing some right things while doing more wrong things."@pollyjhemming hit the nail on the head at #climateintegrity Summit 2024.
— Australia Institute (@TheAusInstitute) November 2, 2024
The climate crisis is an integrity crisis #auspol pic.twitter.com/88vvZNkixp
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trying to get some work done today
— Ketan Joshi (@ketanjoshi.co) November 5, 2024 at 8:20 PM
[image or embed]
In recent weeks, a torrent of severe climate-related disasters has underscored the perilous trajectory of our global society, where human actions continue to destabilise natural systems. In Spain, unprecedented flooding claimed over 200 lives, trapping thousands without food, water, or electricity. Across the country, military forces struggled to reach isolated areas, while the sheer scale of destruction led to widespread looting and despair. As one mayor put it, “people are living with corpses in their homes” – a grim reminder of how unprepared many regions remain for the climate impacts now upon us.
The escalating toll of climate change is evident worldwide, driven by rising global temperatures. New data reveals that the world’s largest banks have poured a staggering $6.9 trillion into fossil fuel projects over the past eight years. In Australia, fossil fuel exports hit record highs, yet tax revenues barely dented the profit margins of fossil giants like Shell. Meanwhile, the frequency and intensity of hurricanes and storms continue to surge, displacing millions and inflicting billions in damage. Globally, CO₂ emissions rose by 4.7 million tonnes daily over the first nine months of 2024, setting records despite pledges to curb emissions.
Leading voices are urging society to recognise the urgency. Johan Rockström, one of the world’s foremost climate scientists, recently described our path as a “direct course toward catastrophe.” While governments offer ambitious targets, the actions to fulfil these goals are falling short, leading many, like climate expert Polly Hemming, to call this “an integrity crisis.”
Similarly, prominent Australian climate advocates argue that individual actions, though crucial, are insufficient without significant policy shifts.
The transition
Despite the gravity of the situation, there are glimmers of hope as nations and communities mobilise for change. South Australia is a shining example, having transitioned from reliance on coal and gas to generating 75 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources. Across Europe, greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 8 per cent last year, driven by a swift rollout of renewable energy.
Positive shifts in community behaviour are also emerging, with a new report in Victoria, Australia, showing that switching from gas to electric energy can save households two-thirds of their energy costs.
The momentum for climate action was bolstered by John Grimes, CEO of the Smart Energy Council, last week, when he spoke out against Australia’s push for nuclear power, labelling it a “smokescreen” for fossil fuel interests.
Australia’s second richest man Dr Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest took that narrative one step further when he took aim at fossil fuel “scaremongering” and “fake” carbon credits,” while calling out ‘dictators and facists’ in the fossil fuel industry:
“There’s clever players in there. They’re dictators, fascist oligarchs who send out bots all over the world, AI driven bots, to lace up messages saying, ‘You got to stay with oil and gas because, you know, your energy costs are going to go up and your standard living is going to go down and my God, save yourself, stick with fossil fuel!’ It’s just rubbish. The cheapest form of energy on Earth is renewable,” Forrest told the Equity Mates Media podcast.
Grimes and Forrest both advocate for renewable energy as the viable path forward, supported by massive community backing. Initiatives such as Pip Magazine are nurturing a cultural shift, promoting values of “earth care, people care, and fair share,” and advocating for deeper connections to our environment.
This journey from devastation to determination is a global call to action. As we face an uncertain future, the drive for an ecological civilisation is growing stronger. We must transition to a paradigm where environmental stewardship, accountability, and compassion guide our policies and practices. Only then can we collectively steer towards a more resilient, just, safe and sustainable world.
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The nightmare is on loop.
— Climate Dad (@ClimateDad77) November 4, 2024
It may already be too late, but the only reason we’re not adapting like crazy in this moment is because our politics, media & lives are owned by psychopathic corporations who’d rather kill everything & everyone than see a dent in shareholder profit. https://t.co/EWZV9S3ud3 pic.twitter.com/8UsU3JzF7V
More shocking flood footage from Valencia.
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) November 5, 2024
Oh wait, it's Santa Marta, Colombia.
Or is it Halabja, Iraq?
Wrong again, it's Sukabumi, Indonesia.
All these cities faced extreme floods in the last 7 days. This gets worse until we stop burning oil and gas.pic.twitter.com/BY6WzU1uZN
Three days of official mourning in Spain
Valencia’s soccer team is the bottom team in the Spanish soccer tournament La Liga. They were supposed to have played the major club Real Madrid at home on Saturday. However, that football match will not take place.
Instead, the home team has made its large Estadio Mestalla stadium available as a centre for the collection of food and other aid supplies.
And Real Madrid, together with the Red Cross, has launched a national fundraiser to help those in need in Valencia – with the Madrid club itself contributing one million euros to the collection.
The extreme rainfall on Tuesday and the subsequent tsunami-like flooding of large areas in and around Valencia are, in the words of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a national disaster, which has prompted three days of official mourning in Spain. By Friday afternoon, 205 deaths had been recorded due to the floodwaters, and many thousands have been forced to leave homes drowned in mud, more or less destroyed, and without electricity and water.
On Friday, 500 soldiers were sent to Valencia to assist the 12,000 personnel already deployed in the cleanup and search efforts for those still missing in the flooded areas…
~ Investor Group on Climate Change
→ Environment Victoria – 16 October 2024:
Switch from gas to electric can save two thirds off annual energy bills, increase comfort and reduce emissions – new report
For a brighter day
✓ EU emissions down a steep 8% in 2023
✓ South Korea cut GHG emissions by 6.5% more than its target in 2023
✓ In China, 140 steel enterprises completed their “ultra-low emission” transformation this year
✓ China’s largest offshore wind project at 900MW connected to the grid
✓ China’s emissions stayed at, or just below, last year’s levels in Q3, after falling in Q2
✓ US to spend $3b to electrify port infrastructure at 55 sites nationwide
✓ US on pace for 11,600 fast-charging EV stations this year, up 35% compared to same period in 2023
✓ Australian big batteries lead renewable charge as record 45GW of new capacity seeks grid connection
✓ Hard coal use in German electricity generation down 39% in first 9 months of 2024
✓ Oil & gas company Santos sued by its own shareholder in world-first greenwashing case
✓ London’s Tube could partly be powered by solar energy
✓ British households made a record £30.7m from rooftop solar panels last year following record installation levels
Source: Razzouk
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Australia’s energy future is up for debate
– say no to nuclear, yes to renewables
Newsletter from ACF
Right now, we have a unique opportunity to shape Australia’s energy future – and we need every voice to be heard. The federal government has launched an inquiry into nuclear power, which will shape how Australia approaches energy now and into the future. It’s crucial that we highlight the risks of nuclear power and promote the benefits of renewables.
Your submission can help make clear that Australians want safe, affordable, and clean energy — not a two-decade or more delay on effective climate action and nuclear risks down the line.
MAKE A SUBMISSION
Nuclear power isn’t just expensive; it’s a short-sighted response to a complex problem. And the Coalition nuclear push would cement and extend the role of coal and gas in our energy future.
Renewables are already creating jobs, lowering emissions and securing genuine clean energy for this generation and generations to come. Australia deserves an energy path that is future-focused and builds on the strength of our abundant sun and wind.
Will you join us in calling for a renewable-powered Australia?
The Select Committee on Nuclear Energy needs to hear from opposing voices. Here’s what a submission can say:
Nuclear energy is risky and slow: Nuclear plants take years to build and bring high environmental and health risks. Renewables are faster, safer and already providing jobs in local communities.
Our renewables are unmatched: Australia’s sun, wind, and waves give us a renewable advantage few countries have. Let’s lead the world with a commitment to clean energy.
Protect our communities and environment: Australian nature and communities should not face the risks of nuclear insecurity, radioactive waste or threats to water sources. A renewable-powered future is sustainable and safe for generations to come.
We know that making a submission from scratch can be intimidating. If you want help getting started, you may choose to follow our quickstart guide that will make some suggested text based on your experience and interests. You can copy and paste that text into the submission form to develop it further, because each submission is invaluable and every one of us has a unique angle from which to approach the issue.
Start a submission with help
MAKE A SUBMISSION from scratch
Right now, we’ve got to work hard to secure a sustainable, nuclear-free Australia. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this vital conversation.
Yours for a cleaner and safer future,
Dave
Dave Sweeney
Nuclear Free Campaigner
John Grimes, CEO, Smart Energy Council:
Tuesday was a defining moment. A moment when I felt compelled to stand up and say no to the Coalition’s nuclear smokescreen. This is the biggest threat to the renewables industry in a decade. Cunning and dangerous. A clear and present threat to renewable jobs, projects innovation and your business. So I said No! No, to a nuclear agenda designed to boost the oil and gas industry. No, to a nuclear agenda that is blatantly anti-renewables. No, to a nuclear agenda without detail or substance. No, to a nuclear agenda without community consultation.
The good news? Massive community support is swinging in behind us. Media, commentators, influences, mums and dads see this policy for what it is. They are amplifying our arguments on TV, on radio and on their socials. Here is the ‘fallout reel’ from my evidence to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Nuclear Power. Tuesday was massive! But one day of resistance won’t win this war against renewables. We need a fact-based, visible campaign from now until the election.
“Nuclear power will not lower power bills or solve Australia’s energy challenges. It is high risk, makes no sense for Australia and is intentionally proposed by people who aim to stall our progress towards a cleaner, cheaper renewable future. Let’s keep doing what’s already working: renewables.”
~ Climate Council
→ The Guardian – 29 October 2024:
Let’s be clear, Peter Dutton’s energy plan is more focused on coal and gas than it is on nuclear power
“It seems reasonable to call the Coalition’s policy what it primarily is: a proposal to expand fossil fuels”
→ CarbonBrief:
More than half a trillion hours of work lost in 2023 due to ‘heat exposure’
“A record 512 billion of work hours were lost around the world in 2023 because of the risk of heat exposure, says a new report from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change.”
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Transcript of The Sustainable Hour no. 527
Dr Melissa Lem:
There’s no better adventure out there than working together to save the planet.
Jingle:
The Sustainable Hour. For a green, clean, sustainable Geelong: The Sustainable Hour.
Anthony Gleeson:
Welcome to The Sustainable Hour. We’d like to acknowledge, as always, that we are coming in from the land of the Wadawurrong people. We pay tribute to the elders – past, present, and those that earn that great honour in the future. We are coming in from stolen land, land that was never ceded – always was and always will be First Nations land. And each week we have the fervent hope that we can inspire people to realise the depth of ancient wisdom that they have. Ancient wisdom that’s been honed from nurturing both their land and their communities for millennia. And we seem to have forgotten that. There are so many answers for us, so many solutions for us as we navigate the climate crisis – in that ancient wisdom.
Mik Aidt:
This planet Earth is the only place in the universe, as far as we know, that supports life. Or at least it’s the only place that we can reach. And yet, in just a few decades here, we’ve managed to destabilise it in such a dramatic way that scientists are now genuinely questioning whether future generations are going to be able to live on this planet a hundred years from now 200 years from now.
So you’d think that people around the world would be mobilising right now, all up in arms, demanding from our politicians, mobilising, finding ways to stop this madness – but no. People continue pouring out planet-heating pollution into the atmosphere day after day as if we couldn’t care less.
But if you look closer at the research, you’ll see that it’s the older generation – it’s people like me, I’m 62, and those who are even older than that, who close their ears and continue this climate-wrecking behavior, continue voting for climate-wrecking politicians.
And meanwhile, fear, anxiety, and apathy is taking its toll on the young generation because they feel they don’t have a future. The older generation is stealing their future. And what’s the answer to that? ‘Well, we can’t do anything about it now. That’ll be your problem. Good luck!’
In the normal world, we’d be looking to our government. They’re there to protect us, we’d say, and they would, you know, solve the problems and fix things, especially when we are under such a threat. But that’s not at all what’s happening. On the contrary, it’s actually the other way around.
This big hole we are in is dug by our governments and their fossil fuel allies and backed by the big banks who continue to fund these climate destroying projects. Since the Paris Agreement was signed… – and that was something which at the time everyone announced was a ‘watershed moment’, but was it? – Because since then, 60 of the world’s largest banks have poured $6.9 trillion into new fossil fuel projects. That’s $6,900 billion invested in wrecking our climate.
And at the same time, governments around the world are subsidising these fossil fuels with an annual sum which is just as crazy – I mean, $7 trillion, according to the International Monetary Fund.
So while we’re watching the climate breakdown claiming lives, devastating communities, our leaders and the financial institutions are actively funding the destruction. I wonder how long do we continue to accept this?
Now it’s Spain and it’s been all over the news last week because they have the cameras to capture what it looks like, where a month ago when it happened in Africa, there was a similar catastrophe. In Africa, over 200 people drowned in September and we barely saw any coverage of that. Except of course that you talked about it, Colin. And we have here in The Sustainable Hour Colin Mockett OAM with us, keeping an eye on the global events. And I imagine that you would have Spain on your list for today in the Global Outlook – or what’s been catching your eye and attention this week, Colin?
COLIN MOCKETT’S GLOBAL OUTLOOK
Yes, thank you, Mik. And you’re right, Spain is top of the list. Spain has experienced the worst flash flooding in its nation’s history since records began. And that has caused the deaths of at least 200 people. It’s also caused a strange predicament where victims have been throwing mud at both their king and queen, and their prime minister ran away from that, and has also highlighted the fact that human-caused climate change is now with us every day.
The storms also unleashed a rare tornado with hailstones that smashed car windows in Spain. And this was when the Spanish Peninsula, which includes Portugal of course, was just recovering from a severe drought.
It arrived just when our own climate scientists at the CSIRO released a report saying that Australia’s average temperatures have now risen by 1.5°C degrees for the first time since records began.
Now if you remember, 1.5°C degrees was the benchmark set in the Paris Accord and all governments around the world signed an agreement to keep us below it. Instead we got another new study released by the international research group World Weather Attribution which listed the 10 deadliest weather disasters since 2004. All of them attributed to human-induced climate change. The list includes three tropical cyclones, four heat waves, two floods and a drought. And they’ve killed at least 570,000 people. And the study shows how all of them were intensified by global warming, caused by the burning of oil, gas and coal and deforestation.
Now that last sentence was a direct quote from the report.
What’s more, the authors emphasised that the total death toll is a major underestimate. Many heat-related deaths, possibly running into the millions, are not reported officially and don’t show up in the International Disaster Database, especially in poorer countries that are most vulnerable to high temperatures.
The deadliest single climate event in the official global records was a 2011 drought in Somalia that killed at least 258,000 people. And the report found that human-caused warming intensified that drought with disrupted rainfall patterns and warmer temperatures that evaporated more moisture from the soil and therefore led on to further droughts.
In 2008, cyclone Nagras killed more than 138,000 people in southern Myanmar. The new study found that global warming intensified the storm’s wind speed by 18 per cent and that the warm ocean temperatures that boosted Nagras’ rainfall were made 47 per cent more likely by global warming.
In the case of the 2023 European heatwave that killed more than 37,000 people, the research showed that some of the regional peak temperatures in the Western Mediterranean region would have been impossible without global warming and were made 1,000 times more likely across Southern Europe.
For us, the CSIRO report noted that two years ago, Australia’s temperatures have risen by an average 1.47°C degrees since records began in 1910. This year the average temperatures in Australia have risen by 1.5°C degrees, which means that even that warning two years ago, we didn’t do anything dramatically to slow the cause. While global average temperatures have risen by 1.2°C degrees since reliable records began in 1850.
Globally, we’re at about 1.2°C degrees because that encapsulates the surface air temperature just above the sea level. But Australia and other land masses are around 1.5°C degrees because the land heats more quickly than the water. That’s Dr. Jackie Brown, climate research manager at the CSIRO, quoting. Scientists have repeatedly said Earth would need to average 1.5°C degrees of warming over two or three decades to be in technical breach of the Paris threshold.
The International Panel on Climate Change warned in 2018 that even if global temperatures were limited to a 1.5°C degree rise in pre-industrial levels, seas would rise by 40 centimetres. It’s looking increasingly unlikely that we’ll be able to stop at 1.5°C degrees, Brown said.
Optimal bushfire conditions have changed too. The report noted this. While year to year climactic conditions influence how much fuel is available and how dry it is, the CSIRO and the Bureau report that there is a clear evidence that extreme fire weather is much more common and fire seasons have become more extreme since 1950.
Some parts of Australia, including on the East and West coasts, now experienced 25 more dangerous bushfire weather days each year. The numbers hide the trauma. That’s Miss Brown again, she said. “It isn’t a surprise, the bushfire seasons are getting longer, they’re getting more severe.” Climate change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the report reiterates the urgent need to act on climate change. And that’s all he said. He didn’t announce any changes at all. It’s just the usual Australian politicians, yeah, we’re concerned about it, but we’re not actually going to do anything.
And the world’s only climate neutral sports club, Forest Green Rovers, the greenest sports unit in the world, lost to Barnsley, which is a team, a division above them, but they still remain in second place in their division. They’ll be playing again in their division for next week, Mik. And that ends our round up for the week.
Jingle:
Listen to our Sustainable Hour – for the future.
Polly Hemming speaking at Climate Integrity Summit 2024:
https://x.com/TheAusInstitute/status/1852519997928849481
The problem is, when it comes to climate, the government seems to want praise for doing some right things while doing more wrong things. Apparently we can keep exporting fossil fuels because we’re building renewables. Apparently we can ignore rising transport emissions because we have a plan for electric vehicles. We can open a new gas basin over here because we didn’t cut down some trees over there. We can subsidise fossil fuels because we’re giving some money to sports teams in the Pacific. We can tell Japan that we will sell it gas forever because one day we might sell it some hydrogen too. We can keep logging native forest because the government is funding koala hospitals. We can keep approving coal mines because we will let some people from Tovalu live in Australia, some people, not all of them, live in Australia when their home is gone. To be clear, it’s not okay to do things that we know are bad because we do some things that are good. We wouldn’t accept this behaviour from our children. We shouldn’t accept it from our leaders.
Tony:
Our guest today is Philippa Rowland. Now, Philippa had a lot to do with a group called Clean Energy for Eternity some time ago, I’m sure she’ll tell us about that. She’s also been Chair of the Religions for Peace since 2022, President of the Multifaith Association of South Australia since 2017, and other things that have kept her busy. Welcome, Philippa. Thanks for coming on today.
Philippa:
Greetings, Tony. Thank you very much for having me.
Tony:
Our pleasure.
Philippa:
So your invitation to come and talk threw me into a deep reflective dive, thinking where my life’s intersected with climate over the last 20 years or whatever. And so if you don’t mind, I was going to begin with a bit of just a one person stepping through time fairly briefly, and just thinking about the different things that I’ve experienced.
Tony:
Terrific.
Philippa:
I think in a nutshell… I grew up overseas. I was born in Canberra and I came back to Australia at 18 – through India. And that was a really valuable thing for me as a human being because once you’ve been on a train in India with people going, ‘Amma, Amma, Bakshish’, you know, ‘Please give me some food, give me some money’. You can’t come out of that without realising you’re a ‘have’ in a world of ‘have-nots’.
So that was a really good experience for me to have at 18. I came back to study agriculture at the Waite Institute here in Adelaide. It took me six years to do a four year degree because I took two years off and I spent those having joined the campaign against nuclear energy.
Quite a lot of that time I spent with Nara Banna elders up at Roxby and also working with the Nomadic Action Group, both some of the early forest campaigns at Erin Nundra and also with the big community gathering around the ALP conference in Canberra.
And I think when I finished my degree, I actually worked in a food and veggie shop and I volunteered with Trees for Life. And that is really part of a lifelong sense that humans planting trees is one very positive action we can do with our energy that can help stabilise climate and give us hope. You know, it’s fantastic to look at trees you planted five, 10, 20 years ago and see that we can have a positive impact on the world. Humans don’t have to be absolute horrors to all other species.
And I think during that period, as a community, we did some really fantastic big tree plantings at Porter’s Lagoon, which is north of Borough, which is a copper mine. And they’d cut down all of the trees around Borough as pick crops for the mine. So you ended up with these big lakes that became salinised salty lakes. So we had big community festivals, tree planting Porter’s Lagoon. And in hindsight, we would have been better off planting the hillside. Because in fact, in flooding wet years, quite a few of our trees drowned, but there’s still a forest there which wouldn’t have been there without community tree plantings.
I went to India again in 1991 for about seven months. And when I came back, I actually landed a job as a scientist with the BRS, the Bureau of Resource Sciences. And I worked with my ag science degree for 11, 12 years, a lot of it on reducing the risks of pesticides to trade, health and environment. And the money, as you might have gathered, came from risks to trade.
And that came about during a drought year in Australia, where some cattle growers had fed their beef cattle cotton trash. And there was a big shipload of cattle on its way to Japan, which was tested and found to come up with a pesticide in their blood, which was not registered with a maximum residue limit for food. So that was halted in middle of the ocean and floated about quite a while. And that released enough money to really pay me to work for about five years on trying to get a national approach to reducing the risks of chemicals.
And for me to learn that we really didn’t have a good handle on where pesticides were going in the environment. There were very few government scientists working on pesticides in waterways. And for me now, hearing the news recently about the links between pesticides and Alzheimer’s and other diseases, it’s still a job to be done. For me, it was a big lesson that you could be involved for five years as a federal representative in a state Commonwealth working group, come up with a strategy, get it signed off by ministers.
And then discover unless you have a funding budget allocated to the actions, it’s just a wish list and not an action item. I’m just sharing some of my learnings of why, if you look on LinkedIn, I now talk of community solutions to climate change as being the key thing I want to work on because I realise we don’t have time to wait for governments. We need to force them into action at the speed that is required.
So Tony’s quite right. I’ve got two kids and they were born in 2003, in 2005. And in 2005, I moved to the Bega Valley with a one and a three year old and got involved in Clean Energy for Eternity that had been set up by Dr Matthew Knott and East Fidist from the Bega Valley. And we had a community target, which was ’50-50 by 2020′.
50 per cent reduction of energy through energy efficiency measures and 50 per cent renewable. And we also landed a grant to build Australia’s first community solar farm. But after that election, when we finally found where that money was parked, it was for a project where you needed to demonstrate renewable energy, energy efficiency, and great photo opportunities for ministers. So we turned ourselves inside out and we managed to come up with what I thought was a fabulous plan. And that was we would have a community solar farm in Bega and we had 10 sites, 10 farmers were willing to have solar farms. And we did the work of working with the transgrid, know, the big poles and wires of where we could feed it into the grid.
We would then have a demonstration solar panels on top of BHEs at the Heritage Center. And there’d be a big board that said this renewable energy project is linked with a water conservation project. Sorry, that’s the other bit was required. And the water conservation project was a water recycling project on Balmoral Beach with a big sign that said that this water renewable solar powered repumping of water on that beachfront in Sydney was linked to this renewable farm in Bia… Blah, blah, blah… We didn’t get the money. But the work we’d done, at least I think, wasn’t wasted because then the tide turned and we could share that, our homework, if you like, with other community groups that did get up the first solar farms.
But that experience for me, because I went to Canada to sit down with somebody from the department of climate change about our project. And when we were deemed ineligible for the feed-in tariff, it made our project uneconomic. And I went to the Copenhagen Climate Talks in 2009 in a fury to find funding for our project. And when I got there, of course, I realised Australia is a well-developed, wealthy nation. We shouldn’t be going to the CoP for money. We should be going to the CoP to give money.
But I had just two quite pivotal experiences that I’ll just share. One was walking into a room, an NGO room, with a sign at the front door on climate criminals. And Australia was at the top of the list. And that shook me up. I can tell you, it shook me up a bit to really get a grip on our responsibility for climate.
And the second was very moving – and I’ll share it again if Ursula Rokova does manage to join us today. But I went to a side event where I saw Pacific Islander women dancing as if there was nothing between them and the sky, but their longing that their islands be saved, and their ancestors’ remains and their children’s children could remain on country, on their islands. And I can’t unsee that. I just so honour their grace and dignity before just immense, you know, climate grief of what they’re experiencing.
Colin:
What you’ve been saying is music to our ears. There’s a couple of things I would like to point out and a couple of questions of course I’ve always got questions of our guests. First of all I want to point out that when you say you’ve been tree planting the truth is as you said yourself you were replanting because virtually over the last hundred years we have cleared whole I’m talking worldwide not just Australia but worldwide we have cleared so many trees that’s one of the reasons we’re in the trouble that we’re now. So what you’re actually doing is replanting where our fathers and forefathers have, well, they just cleared the land then used the wood for one reason or another, frequently just for burning, which really redoubled on the effects that it has in the stratosphere. The questions that I have, what methods are you using to force the government into action?
And your climate emergency to eternity. Have you thought about going around and just writing it on the pavement? Because the eternity that was being put out a hundred years ago by the fellow in Sydney, that’s part of Australia’s history now. Every child who’s had a look at the history books knows about the fellow who went around writing eternity. Maybe that’s what we’ve got to do to shake people into doing things?
Philippa:
Yeah. Because in effect, and I agree with you, Colin, our current actions must be commensurate with the impacts of humans, particularly Western developed humans on the planet over the last generation easily. And yes, Clean Energy for Eternity did begin with its logo with that beautiful copper plate eternity from the Sydney pavement writer. And I should say that the 50, the target, the community target that was established in 2005 was 50-50 by 2020. That is now 100 per cent by 2030. So that changed quite some time ago for the Bega Valley, for clean energy fraternity, involved still closely with the people that have been running it.
Colin:
Just a pure matter of interest, Philippa: Did you make the target of 2020 by or 50-50 by 2020?
Philippa:
I think our measurement of it was maybe not adequate to the task of answering that, Colin. But the thing that did happen and is still happening is really innovative. Well, I’ll tell you what happened with the project that fell over when I went to Copenhagen. And that is that that solar farm ended up being built on the Tarthorne Water Treatment Plant, which treats all of the water of Bega Valley.
And Bega Council has paid Clean Energy Fraternity a yearly sum of money for the energy costs saved because of the solar farm. And Prue Kelly and Matthew Knott have used that money to go around the valley, solarising Aboriginal primary health care, kindergartens. We had a project called Life Saving Energy, which was putting renewable and wind on all of the surf clubs up and down the South Coast. And we received the letter from the commissioner to do the whole lot in New South Wales.
The same day we found out that we were ineligible for the feed-in tariff back in 2003. But that’s continued. So there’s been a great practical rollout of renewable energy for a whole lot of community buildings, schools, churches, fire clubs, surf clubs, you name it, in the Beaker Valley. So they’ve gone great strides with that help of Dr. Matthew Knott and Prue Kelly.
Colin:
I was going to say, just for the record, just to give the other side of the story, can we ask you, as a scientist, of your opinion of Peter Dutton’s idea that what we really need is nuclear energy?
Philippa:
It’s ludicrous. It’s dangerous. And unfortunately, the very backward step Australia did in joining AUKUS breathed some, you know, shred of life into that idea. But I think it doesn’t stack up. Takes too long. It would not meet our climate emissions reduction targets required to sustain life. And as anybody who’s done any research into the nuclear fuel cycle is that you increase human-induced proliferation of radioactive materials which humanity has still not worked out how to deal with.
And that is close to the heart of South Australians because not only have we had the Roxby uranium mine, but we’ve also had generations of communities of Aboriginal people affected by the fallout from Maralinga. So wrong way, go back! It’s not commercially viable and it’s certainly not ecologically viable. And I hope we knock it on the head soon.
Especially in the light of the fact that we do know that renewables work.
Yeah. Here now.
Yeah. They’re cheap.
Yeah, yeah, so these days, with Anna Markey, who’s a Buddhist with the Coast and City Sangha, and with me, a Buddhist who works in interfaith, we’ve been holding a monthly Meditate for Earth on the South Australian Parliament House steps, the first Wednesday of every month, two and a half years, nearly three years. And that has led to some great conversations, including with Peter Malinouskas, Premier of South Australia.
I was very cheered to see a report in the Manufacturing Industry Journal of Australia, that is not a left-wing rag by any shape or form, which was acknowledging South Australia’s capacity to genuinely reach 100 per cent renewable energy in the foreseeable future without the use of water. So some of the countries that have reached 100 per cent renewable have got hydroelectricity. South Australia does not. We’re the driest state in the driest continent on Earth. But with wind and solar and battery, we’re on track, not at 100 per cent. We’ve touched it. We’ve touched 100 per cent for periods of minutes up to hours, but we’re not able to sustain it. But genuinely, it’s quite world-class transitional evidence that it is possible.
Mik:
At Center for Climate Safety, which is a little group of people in Geelong who are communicating about these aspects and have done it for more than a decade now, we often get this question: ‘So what do we do?’ You know, the big question of what does humanity do and how did we even get here? Why is this problem so wicked?
Just in the weekend here – inspired, you could say, maybe, of the different things going on in America at the moment, I thought: let’s try and first look at what the problem really is, like, make an analysis: ‘What is the problem?’ And then afterwards have a look at: ‘So how do we deal with that – if we are honest and if we go to the roots of the problem?’ But first: what is the problem?
Orpheus:
What is the problem and how we solve it? At Centre for Climate Safety for more than a decade, we have been studying the problems we are up against when it comes to carbon emissions and climate.
ABC News reporter:
At this stage, 158 people have confirmed to have lost their lives in this unprecedented flood event.
When we know that lives are at stake, why is humanity not acting faster on solving this climate emergency? And more importantly, how do we change this situation? Here is a theory of change. First, understanding what is causing the problem. Then in the realisation that unfortunately there are no quick fixes here. We need to deal with the roots of the problem, rolling out an eight point roadmap of how we do that.
The problem: Why aren’t we acting faster on climate?
Despite increasingly alarming predictions, the world continues to struggle with making rapid, significant cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.
The first nine months of 2024 saw an increase in global CO2 emissions of 4.7 million tonnes per day. Even as the impacts of climate breakdown, rising temperatures, devastating wildfires, stronger storms and droughts become more visible and severe, global emissions have not decreased at the pace needed to avoid a future marked by irreversible climate impacts.
A recent United Nations report shows that climate safety now requires the equivalent of a coronavirus lockdown every year.
But if we understand the potential devastation, why aren’t we changing our ways more quickly? The answer lies in a mix of economic, political, psychological and social factors that together make this shift complex and slow.
The first obstacle is economic interests and fossil fuel dependency. Many economies are deeply reliant on fossil fuels and the industries tied to oil, gas and coal hold significant economic power and influence. The companies involved in fossil fuel extraction and distribution have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, often lobbying governments to protect their markets. Transitioning away from fossil fuels isn’t just an economic challenge, it’s a systemic shift. Jobs, industries and even entire regional economies depend on fossil fuels. Moving away from these sources of energy also means confronting financial losses, which is politically challenging and financially complex.
Then there is the political and social inertia. Climate safety requires long-term solutions, but our political systems generally focus on short-term goals. Politicians operate within election cycles and are motivated to address issues that will yield visible, immediate results. This tendency to prioritise short-term gains over long-term sustainability has been one of the greatest obstacles to comprehensive climate action. Additionally, the social systems we live in have evolved around a fossil fuel economy. From transport infrastructure to food production, our society is embedded in fossil-based energy, making any large-scale transformation seem daunting and disruptive.
Thirdly, public awareness and misinformation. While public awareness of climate change has grown, misinformation campaigns, often funded by fossil fuel interests, have sown doubt about the science and downplayed the urgency of the crisis. In some cases, people are simply not aware of the full extent of the crisis, while others believe that their actions won’t make a significant difference. Misinformation has contributed to climate inaction as doubt and confusion persist around the severity and immediacy of climate breakdown. This general lack of clarity in society have caused climate action to feel less pressing or even overwhelming, reducing momentum toward meaningful change.
Cost and accessibility of clean alternatives also play in transitioning to cleaner electricity sources, emissions-free transportation and sustainable agriculture is expensive and the costs of adopting these green solutions are often prohibitive for individuals and communities. For example, installing solar panels or buying an electric vehicle requires a high upfront investment that many cannot afford without government incentives or subsidies. Even in cases where green technologies are accessible, they may require additional infrastructure and policy support to become viable on a large scale.
This barrier to accessibility slows the green transition, especially in lower income regions where funds are more limited. Add to that psychological distance and adaptation bias. The perception that climate change is a distant problem, one that will primarily impact future generations or far off places, can reduce a person’s urgency to act. This psychological distance makes it difficult for people to prioritise climate action in their daily lives. Additionally, adaptation bias comes into play. As climate changes gradually, people become accustomed to new normals, which can lead to complacency. This tendency to adapt to incremental changes can prevent a strong sense of urgency, causing people to underestimate the need for bold, immediate action.
Complexity and global coordination challenges are the sixth factor in this. Climate change is a global issue requiring cooperation among countries with vastly different economies, priorities and capabilities. Wealthier nations often have the resources to adopt cleaner technologies, but developing countries may lack these means, prioritising economic growth over immediate emissions cuts. This disparity makes unified global action challenging as wealthier nations are sometimes perceived as placing demands on others without acknowledging their own historical contributions to emissions. The lack of consistent, coordinated international action has slowed progress, with countries pointing fingers at each other rather than working in harmony.
Fear of lifestyle changes is a big one. Addressing climate breakdown requires changes in daily habits, such as reducing meat consumption, conserving energy, and choosing more sustainable forms of transportation. However, these changes may seem inconvenient, costly, or less comfortable. Cultural norms and preferences also play a role, as people may resist changes that disrupt their way of life. They want to protect their freedom of choice and right to pollute, even when that choice and that freedom contributes to wrecking the climate for everyone else. The fear of lifestyle changes can lead to resistance and inaction, as it may be difficult to reconcile the desire for comfort with the need for sustainable practices.
And lastly, as another answer to the question, why we aren’t acting, the very slow and gradual escalation of these climate impacts. While climate impacts are worsening, many of these changes have occurred gradually, making them easier to dismiss as isolated weather events rather than as signs of a larger systemic crisis. When media reports on the calamities, they ignore the opportunity to explain how extreme weather chaos is connected with climate, which again is connected with our use of oil, coal and gas, and our consumer choices. This gradual escalation can make climate change seem like a future problem rather than a present day emergency. Without a sense of immediate crisis, it’s challenging to build widespread support for the drastic changes required to mitigate long-term climate risks.
So, you can see why climate change is often called a wicked problem and why it wasn’t just solved by our political leaders as soon as we heard about it first time.
Philippa:
So my response to that is that I think it reflects the reality I live in and it’s uncomfortable but necessary to face. And I probably would tackle two elements of it. One is an awakening that I had during my life as a government scientist when I worked on an interdepartmental committee on minimising the risks of transboundary movement of living modified organisms, and I was speaking out against the risks that I felt about releasing GMOs into the environment. And I was not invited to the delegation that went to the talks, which is not surprising.
But what was daunting and surprising for me was to see the head of that delegation reemerge a year or two later as the head of the Australian Coal Foundation. And that was the moment in which I just went, my God, it’s true. There is a revolving door between senior levels of government and senior levels of our fossil fuel industry. It just woke me up to that. And that makes it more difficult for, you know, our governments to be as courageous as they need to be in the face of this escalating emergency.
And then the positive thing that I want to say is that in my own trajectory from being a scientist to being a community scientist to now being a community faith leader, working on faith led climate action, is for me the Pivot Points 2015 when in Adelaide we held an event called Humanity at a Crossroads, an appeal for spiritual leadership on climate change. And we had 400 people in the Hawke Center in Adelaide.
And three days later, I had the honour of going to the Paris Climate Talks. And at the Paris Climate Talks, really, I was so heartened to see our Australian Youth Climate Coalition now Seed Mob out there working with young people from around the world really to put 1.5°C to stay alive on the global agenda. It was a great gift that they gave to us and it’s an indictment of our generation that as we heard earlier in this program we have now reached 1.5°C. So we have less wriggle room to really get on top of our emissions and create a safe future, a safe climate future, not just for our species but for all species alive on Earth.
And it’s the interconnected nature of life that human flourishing depends on the flourishing of so many other living beings, including ones invisible to the eye, that live in the soil, that not only sequesters carbon but lead to healthy crops. So I think I pay all honour to Australian First Nations for really speaking out about the need to take action on climate. And if I had just one big lesson that I’d like to share with people to think about, we were talking about tree planting and tree cutting earlier. The link between the forest cover in Australia and the water cycle is absolutely fundamental.
My husband worked as a doctor in Warakuna, which is over the WA border from Uluru. And my son was six, so old enough to come on the back of a camel with me. And I’m on a camel with my six-year-old in front of me on this camel. And I’m looking at the landscape. And there are desert oaks that look like an upside-down toilet brush for nearly 50 years, until their roots hit the groundwater.
And then they turn into this vast spreading shady tree that provides a haven for so much life and transpires water from the groundwater into the atmosphere and helps the water cycle in Australia. If we end up fracking Northern Territory, Queensland, we damage the hydrological cycle in Australia. We have no idea what we are doing. So it’s the fossil fuels and the burning of them, but it’s the implication of our mining impacts on the very lifeblood of this country that I think our governments must take on board.
Mik:
And that’s, we’re talking about something that generates more than $100 billion a year at the moment. Yeah. That’s what we’re up against. $100 billion.
Scott Morrison:
This is coal. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be scared.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse:
At the heart of this conflict is a battle between truth and science and power and lies.
9News reporter:
Emergency crews are right now searching for any survivors after devastating floods, swamped towns and streets in Spain.
ABC News reporter:
Frustration and desperation is growing.
We are not thieves but we have to eat. What can I give to the child if we don’t have electricity?
In this area we can’t contact each other because we have no internet.
9News reporter:
Authorities are also warning that there are likely people’s bodies in the cars that have been washed up, tossed on top of one another. The deaths, they’re going to touch everyone in these communities in the Valencia region of Spain. In one town alone, 40 people have lost their lives in this…
Philippa’s friend in Spain:
I was cut off from the outside world for 48 hours because the river burst its banks and it wasn’t great, but nothing like in Valencia. I Valencia has been horrendous. And all of that area where people have died and drowned in their garages and been swept out, that’s actually a flood plain. And that’s the trouble, you know, the infrastructure is not set up for these huge extremes that we have now with the climate. And yeah, that’s what happens, I know, the warning system wasn’t good enough and people didn’t stand a chance.
Down here in Andalucía and also Castilla Mancha, there’s been quite a lot of damage. Thousands of animals have died, you know, drowned in the farms as the flesh floods came through and stuff. I mean, it’s bad, but nothing different to what happens in Bangladesh or anywhere else in the world. I mean, it’s just that, you know, being Spain, it catches the imagination of the media. When it’s some town in Africa, it doesn’t hit the headlines in the same way. Yeah, it’s not great. Here we’re still on orange alert and down in Uelva, which is a region further towards Portugal, they’re now on red alert. mean, the storm hasn’t stopped. The sun came out yesterday a little bit. The waters are receding.
And the good side of this is that the reservoirs are now half full again. Well, some of them, some of them are still a bit low, but you know, we hadn’t had water for ages. And so now we have water, thankfully. But that doesn’t really equate to the loss of life in Valencia. Anyway, sending you a big hug. Thank you for thinking of me. And I hope, you’re going into the fire season now. It’s awful. It’s awful. No, I know. I spoke to Tony Hart the other day and she was telling me about what’s going on in California. And she says that one of the problems is that most houses can’t get insurance now because of these wildfires that kind of sweep down canyons.
I mean, this is a taste of things to come. And unless policies are put into place that change our usage of fossil fuels and the rest of it. I mean, I’m not, you I know I’m preaching to the converted. This is just, it’s going to get worse anyway, but this is just going to get seriously worse. Anyway, sending you a big hug. Thank you for thinking of me. And yeah, luckily for me, we got off lightly. All the damage is very usable, you know, easily fixable with the machine and moving earth and stuff. And
And you know, I live on the top of a hill. So from that point of view, it’s the best place to be. But that does not negate what has happened elsewhere. Anyway, big hug and stay safe, bye.
Philippa:
Since we have now reached the prediction, the prediction is we would see the increased frequency and intensity of extreme events. And my friend in Spain, who sent me that little three minute clip, is an example that we developed in developing world alike are in the thick of it now. We are having to find our way through this climate emergency, take care of each other, and do the best we can.
I was invited to speak, give a climate talk in Pakistan after the floods, because now I’m working with Religions for Peace Australia. We’re part of the Asian Conference, Religions for Peace, which includes Pakistan, India, all of the region. And I’m in the second year now of a climate flagship project.
And I’ve tried to come up with a very simple three-point plan, and it’s briefly: 1) Transition – getting off fossil fuels, helping other countries and ourselves to move to renewable, but also informing people about the Non-Proliferation Treaty on Fossil Fuels and the sign-up page for faith groups. 2) The second is Resilience, working with our living Earth, looking at food and water security, mangroves, tree planting, trying to help resilience for ourselves and for biodiversity. 3) And the third one is Recovery, the role of faith groups after climate disasters.
I’m now a trained disaster recovery chaplain, and I’ve worked in South Australia after the bushfires and the floods. But also with an online conference we had a lovely woman called Dr. Ira Mangalilo from East Nusa Tenggara, which is in Far East in Indonesia before West Papua. She said the only building standing after Cyclone Soroja was a stone church. And that then became the place for people to try and find loved ones and to get food and medical aid and support. So I think there is a real role for that network of faith communities to work on climate change.
Mik:
Thank you, Philippa. This is so important to talk about resilience and how we come together, because as you say, it’s a reality. What we were hoping we would have avoided is now here. We need to find ways of coming through this, but not to give up. And I would say we played this seven-eight minute long talk about what the problem is. We will save until next week to play what the solution could be. And what that could look like. So that’s a cliffhanger for our listeners that you can listen on next week.
Tony:
Philippa, you just touched on faith groups at the end there and maybe we’ll have to get you back on some time to go into more detail on that. But one thing that we got excited about when it came out 10 years ago was LoudRTC. Are you seeing that being implemented? Like it’s one that’s one of the best documents, I guess, around instructing people of faith in what to do.
Philippa:
Yeah. So I had the privilege to work with Catholic Earth Care Australia with a national energy efficiency network and that was working just on that one half of our 50 per cent reducing energy by efficiency. So I was actually working in the Catholic space when Laudato Si’ came out. So I had the privilege of reading it right through. We were told all you have to do today is read this twice, front to back, and it is a profound document. And there’s been more profound things since coming out of this current particular Pope.
And I thought it was telling that when he came to our region, he didn’t come to New Zealand and Australia. He went to Papua New Guinea. He went to Timor-Leste. So he really is walking the talk of what he believes of working with the poor and vulnerable. And he encourages people to have hope in caring for the Earth.
That’s really, if you boil it down, the strongest message is to pick up our responsibility, which is there in all faiths.
All faiths I’ve met have within them something about our human responsibility to care for each other and to care for the Earth. We are here as stewards – and we are failing in that stewardship. So I think where it can have traction and where it can be added to by other faith traditions, it’s really valuable space to work in, because it leads with hope – it leads with hope and courage and not with despair and fear. And it’s much more attractive for people to have hope and encouragement.
We’ve worked with the Australian Religious Response on Climate Change, including the recent banner actions that we did again, getting places of worship to put up banners, and I got one up in the Seekh Gurdwara which led to me being interviewed by a Punjabi influencer which was a new first for me the other day being interviewed on climate change and solutions.
Mik:
Thank you so much. That’s all we could fit in one edition of The Sustainable Hour. An hour goes quickly. Certainly in your company, Philippa, thank you so much for some wisdom and the words that you have shared. And we’ll put more links and inspiration in the podcast notes, which you can find on www.climatesafety.info. I think all that’s left is to find a good new expression of we usually say be the difference, but I would say today we need to say be a steward, be a steward to the Earth.
Philippa:
Be compassionate and to try and have heart, to put heart into what we do and to hold each other up because it’s a long road and we can get exhausted. So it’s good to find some laughter and joy along the way because it’s worth giving it a go. You know, what the world’s worth saving.
Tony:
Exactly. Be a regenerator, there’s a whole lot of things… One thing that really stood out for me, Philippa, in something you said early on, we’re a have in a world of have-nots. That’s going to stay with me for a while, that one.
Philippa:
So, you know when you take the word responsibility, because for me, what came from that recognition that I was a have in a world of have-nots was the responsibility. And the responsibility can feel like a burden sometimes. But when you turn it around, it’s an ability to respond. So that’s kind of what we need to inhabit is that we’re alive today and we’ve got an ability to respond. So let’s just do the best we can.
Tony:
Yeah. Be an ability to respond.
Mik:
Or simply be responsive.
SONG
Michael Franti: ‘Brighter Day’
Don’t give up when your heart is weary
Don’t give up when your eyes are teary
Don’t give up when your voice is trembling
When your life needs mendin’
Don’t give up when the hurt is near you
Don’t give up when the world seems to be broken
I’m still hopin’
With my heart open ayy ay
For a brighter day
Don’t give up when your pride is bruised and
Don’t give up when you fear you’re losin’
Don’t give up in your darkest hour
Cause you got that power
Don’t give up when you feel divided
Don’t give up I’ll be by your side unbroken
I’m still hopin’
With my heart open ayy ay
For a brighter day
And if you stay with me
I will stay with you
For a brighter day
For a brighter day
For a brighter day
For a brighter day
Don’t give up you just keep on fightin’
Don’t give up you just keep on fightin’
Don’t give up you just keep on fightin’
Even when your eyes are cryin’
Don’t give up you just keep on fightin’
Don’t give up you just keep on fightin’
Don’t give up
Even when your eyes are cryin’
For a brighter day
For a brighter day
For a brighter day
For a brighter day
And if you stay with me
I will stay with you
For a brighter day
Don’t give up you just keep on fightin’
For a brighter day
Video:
Powering South Australia with renewables: Michelle’s climate action story
Video by Investor Group on Climate Change
Adelaide is home. It’s a calm, beautiful city, close to the hills and the beach, wineries and 10-pin bowling alleys which my parents drag me to every weekend. I was always good at math, but I wasn’t interested in engineering. It seemed boring. High viz and hard hats, just not my vibe. I wasn’t interested in global issues either, let alone climate change, until a volunteer trip to Fiji opened my eyes and my mind. I thought, I’ve got the skills to help. After 10 years overseas, I moved back to Adelaide for a chance to help change the world. So the system has changed a lot in the last few years. We’ve gone from 100 per cent coal and gas in 2005 to last year in 2023, 75 per cent wind and solar. I’m pretty proud of where it’s going. So I’m on a mission to keep improving our energy system so it’s even cleaner, more reliable and more affordable than ever. While creating meaningful local jobs and export dollars along the way. A better energy system is helping to light up our state, our country and the world.
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Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour
Events in Victoria
The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur.
Petitions
→ List of running petitions where we encourage you to add your name
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